National Republican., 1887-11-23
OBSTRUCTION UNEXPECTED.
Interference with tho building of the
Eastern Branch Bridge.

When Congress legislated for the con-
struction of bridge across the Eastern
branch 1t neglected one important particu-
lar, viz; To ask the Baltimore and Poto-
mac Railroad Company II It was willing.
This omission is causing much delay In the
building operations and not little annoy
ance and Temporary loss to the contractors,
Groton Bridge Company. The facts in the
case are that the contractor endeavored TO
carry out the specifications laid out for his
guidance, and one Of them was, "Eartben
embankments may be used II desired on the
western approach, so arranged that either
the foot OF a slope, II to 1, or the face OF
an abutment win be feet west OF the
westerly rail of the Baltimore and Potomac
railroad.n
Reed, claims that they own the land for
thirty.three feet on each side from the CEN
ter Of the track, while the contractors
foreman, Mr.. Frank Conger, says that the
ground at that point is part OF Pennsylva-
MIA avenue circle, and is, therefore. gov
ernment reservation.
On the spot in dispute the contractors
endeavored to dig test pit for the western
abutment. They wanted to see what kind
OF ground was there to form foundation
on. The railroad men filed the hole up,
and the contractors hands Immediately dug
IL out again. This see.saw game was kept
up for some little time, Col. Hams being
fully informed Of It's progress. Work was
stopped for several days, and was renewed
on Monday on the eorder OF Col. Hams. The
hole was dug out once more, and while the
contractors men we're at dinner the railroad
artists filled It up and stood on the place
where the hole ought to be, thus preventing
any further attempts at excavation In that
immediate neighborhood. Engineer Reed
insists that the abutment must go nineteen
feet further west than the place on which
the contractor was, according to the plans,
instructed to erect It.
The contract il.ust be completed by Aug
next, but 1t was the contractors intention
to have every thing finished by the 1st OF
June. The material is all on the ground,
with the exception OF the ironwork, and
$50 men are at work on that. II, however,
the western span has to be wideued nine
teen feet, then much Of what has already
been done will be useless and an additional
expense arise Of at least 5000. The loss
by delay has exceeded 81, 900, and will, OF
course, grow daily. If the work Is not
proceeded with Immediately the chances for
any work being done before spring are very
slim, fol. piles have to be driven and sawed
off twenty inches below the surface OF the
water, and the water Is becoming so cold
that men will not work In IL.
The additional expense will have to be
paid for, and another appropriation will
have to be made by Congress.
A report covering the whole trouble was
submitted by Col. Hams to the chief OF
engineers and forwarded In turn to the
Secretary of War and the Attorney General.
The latter official has directed the district
attorney to get out an Injunction to restrain
the railroad company from obstructing the
building of the Eastern Branch bridge.
Col. Halns takes the ground that govern
ment has perfect right to build the abut-
ment In the place proposed, and then
springs the trap on the railroad company by
asserting that they have no right to hold
the land on which the tracks now lie, as
permission was granted them to enter the
city between L and NJ streets south, where
as they really enter It at II street, 5000 feet
east Of the point allowed by law.